Dale J. Coffey
Before I say anything at all, I need to first make one thing clear; I do not run. I’ve flirted with the idea a few times in my short life, but, frankly, I’ve always seen it as a something of an abusive relationship.
“Oh yeah,” people will say. “I’m hurting so much, but it’s great!”
Playing sport growing up, running was always the part I loathed. I’m playing tennis here, Adrian, no need to make me run laps of the court. I’ve since tried running at the gym, I’ve tried running outside, but I’m just not all that interested in moving until I can’t breathe, or until I can’t feel my legs.
Since I started working here at Melbourne Foot Clinic, though, I’ve been doing a lot of work learning about our 3D Run Lab. If you don’t already know about it, it’s an advanced 3D assessment of your running that you can’t get anywhere else in Melbourne. Even as someone who hates running, I’ve felt compelled to try it and get a better idea of what it does. So, today, I ran.
To be fair, I didn’t have to run for very long, and the experience was tailored for me as someone that isn’t a hardcore runner or athlete. The benefits of the assessment were clear as soon as our podiatrist, Rohan Coull, started explaining what all the facts and figures mean. What I found out, essentially, was that I am not very good at running. My strides are too long, my feet spend too much time on the ground, I lean too far forward, and I also lean too far to one side. It also gave me an opportunity to learn that I potentially need orthotics for my feet, which I wouldn’t have found out otherwise.
As someone who is not a runner, the assessment helped me understand why I don’t like running; I’m not doing it properly. For athletes, though, it is a feast of information and knowledge about your running you never knew you wanted. Trust me, I’m an expert.
If you enjoyed this post, consider reading our piece about how difficult it can be to put your shoes on.